Coleus plant named ‘Balsoleazl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plant named ‘Balsoleazl’, characterized by its medium greyed-orange, purplish-red, green, and brown multicolored foliage, and moderately vigorous, upright-mounded growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Solenostemonscutellarioides.

Variety denomination: ‘Balsoleazl’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleusplant botanically known as Solenostemon scutellarioides and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Balsoleazl’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Cartago,Costa Rica during May 2018. The objective of the breeding program wasthe development of Coleus cultivars with unique foliage coloration andleaf shape, upright-mounded growth habit, and good sun tolerance.

The new Coleus cultivar is the result of a self-pollination of theproprietary Solenostemon scutellarioides breeding line codedCOL-1156-02, not patented, characterized by its light green and peachcolored foliage, low growth vigor, and compact-mounded growth habit. Thenew cultivar was selected as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the above stated self-pollination during March 2019 in a controlledenvironment in Cartago, Costa Rica.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings sinceMarch 2019 in Cartago, Costa Rica, Arroyo Grande, Calif. and WestChicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproducestrue-to-type with all of the characteristics, as herein described,firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Balsoleazl’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Coleus plant:

-   -   1. Medium greyed-orange, purplish-red, green, and brown        multicolored foliage, and    -   2. Moderately vigorous, upright-mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the parent primarily infoliage color shades and increased growth vigor.

Of the many commercially available Coleus cultivars, the most similar incomparison to the new cultivar is ‘Yellow Dragon’, not patented.However, in comparison, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of‘Yellow Dragon’ in at least the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have more branches per plant than        plants of ‘Yellow Dragon’, and    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have more grey-orange colored        foliage than plants of ‘Yellow Dragon’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, theoverall growth habit and typical foliage characteristics of the newcultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes thecolors of ‘Balsoleazl’. The plants were approximately 4-months old. Theplants were grown in 3-gallon containers for approximately 10 weeks inan outdoor nursery in West Chicago, Ill. Plants were pinched once, fourweeks prior to transplant.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth habit of‘Balsoleazl’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual leaf of‘Balsoleazl’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined in August 2021 under naturallight conditions in Naperville, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe approximately4-month-old plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grownunder conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. Theplants were grown in 3-gallon containers for approximately 10 weeks inan outdoor nursery in West Chicago, Ill. Plants were given one pinch,four weeks prior to transplant. Prior to transplant plants were grown ina polycarbonate greenhouse in West Chicago, Ill. Greenhouse temperatureswere maintained at approximately 70° F. to 85° F. (21° C. to 29° C.)during the day and approximately 60° F. to 70° F. (16° C. to 21° C.)during the night. Supplemental lighting was used during propagationstage. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typicalplants.

-   Botanical classification: Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Balsoleazl’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female and male parent.—Proprietary Solenostemon            scutellarioides breeding line coded COL-1156-02, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 4 to 6 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 14 to 21            days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 5 to 7 weeks from a            rooted cutting to finish in a 10 cm pot.        -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous,            upright-mounded.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 43.0 cm. Width: Approximately 65.0 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, pinching not required but            improves basal branching. Quantity of lateral branches per            plant: Approximately 10 main branches with lateral branches            potentially forming at every node.        -   Branch.—Strength: Moderately strong. Shape: Square in cross            section. Length of lateral branch: Approximately 38.0 cm.            Diameter of lateral branch at central internode:            Approximately 7.0 mm to 1.0 cm. Length of central internode            of lateral branch: Approximately 7.0 cm. Texture: Dense            minute pubescence. Color of young and mature stems: 146C to            146D.-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch:            Approximately 14. Fragrance: None. Form: Simple.            Arrangement: Opposite.        -   Leaves.—Aspect: Petiole is at an acute angle to stem; leaf            blade is perpendicular to stem, and transitions to an obtuse            angle with age. Appearance: Matte. Shape: Ovate. Margin:            Lobed, crinkled. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cordate. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf: Approximately            7.5 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately 5.5 cm. Texture            of upper surface: Bullate, densely pubescent with a mixture            of 71A and colorless pubescence. Texture of lower surface:            Sparsely pubescent with densely pubescent venation. Color of            upper surface of young and mature foliage: 170B with center            of 186B to 186C and irregular mottling of 137A and N199B to            N199C, margins of 144A and 155A; venation of 186A or            indistinguishable from leaf lamina. Color of lower surface            of young and mature foliage: 138B with venation of 4D.        -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 4.0 cm. Width: Approximately            3.0 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Closest to 4D.-   Flowering description: To date, flower development has not been    observed on plants of the new Coleus.-   Disease and pest resistance: To date, resistance to pathogens and    pests common to Coleus has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plant named‘Balsoleazl’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.